Freight car construction



Feb. 23, 1932; F. A. ISAACSON FREIGHT CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed May 12, 1930 M Z d HAS @7- T ORA 5 Ks Patented. Feb. 23, 1932 1 I A rsimoson, or oHIoAeo, ILLINOIS 'rnnrenr" ooitsrrwc'rio x Application file'ana i2, 1930,; Serial No. 451,618.

1 This invention relates to freight cars of the kind provided with metal roofs that are supported at the'eaves 'of the car'onsidefascm members that are secured to the vertical out- Q side faces of the car side plates. Heretofore it has been customary to make such-sheet supporting members of wood and to bolt them to the side plates. When such eaves fascla' boards are made of well seasoned lumber and 10 are properly applied and kept in proper condition, they are very serviceable and satisfactory; but otherwise they are liable to shrink, warp, split or-rot out and wear around the bolt holes and thereby cause themetal I5 roof to sag at the eaves and thus permit the joints thereof to leak. r The principal object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages above stated; that is, to dispense with the eaves 2 fascia boards and the securing bolts therefor. Other objects arereduced cost of manufacture and maintenance, compactness of de: sign, and increased strength at the eaves. The invention consists principally in dispensing 42.5 with the eaves fascia boards and in adapting metal members to perform the functions thereof together. with otherfunctions. The invention also consists in the parts and in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of the specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a freight car embodying my invention, 7 s

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-section through the eaves portion of the car on the line 22 in Fig. 1,

4 Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section through the roof at one of the seams; and

Fig. tis a perspective view of a portion of the metal side fascia. v

Referring to the accompanying drawings, my invention is shown in connection with a freight car comprising Z'bar side plates 1 that are preferably arranged with their webs horizontal and with one flange 2 in and ex tending upwardly. The Z-bar side plates on opposite sides of the car are connected by metare spacedoutwardly from the depending al carlines 3,-fpreferably of substantially inverted channel-shape provided with outstandmg base flanges 4 at the-lower edges of their side walls. As shown in the drawings, each end-of a carline'3 is rigidly secured to an adj a- 55 cent side plate 1 by' meansof an angle-shaped bracketf5,the two flanges of which are riveted I one to the unde'rsid-es of the "base flanges t of said car'line and the other to the inner face ofthe upstanding inner flange 2 of said side plate. I v w v The car is provided with a metal roof, preferably of the flexible single-course type, which comprises metal roof sheets 6 that slope downwardly from ridge to eaves of the car between carlineisand are supported between the side plates on purlines ,7 secured'to the undersides of'sa'id carlines. The roof sheets 6' are narrower than thev spaces-between the'chann'el portions of the carlines and areprovided" with depending eaves'flanges 8that overhang and are spaced outwardly from the upstanding innerfianges 2 of the 'side' plates, The roof sheets are provided along their; adjacent side I margins with upstanding seam flanges 9'that. are" loosely connected I by weatherproofing seanrcovers 10 of substantially inverted channel shaped section that have outstanding'base flanges- 11 that bear against the body portions of the sheets inside the upstanding side seam flanges thereof. The seam covers'10 rest on and are riveted to the flat tops of the carlines 3 and are provided at their .eaves ends with depending flanges 12 thatoverhangand eaves flangesS of adjacent sheets; 1

At the eavesof the car-thereof sheets are 'movably supported on metal side fasciamem .bersA' that extend longitudinally of the side plates land are riveted or otherwise perma- "su nently securedito the outer side faces of the upstanding inner flanges 2 of said side plates..

. Each side fascia member A comprisesa rolled I meta-l member [of substantially T-shaped I v cross-section; that is, it comprises a vertically '90 disposed stem portion 13', which-is provided at'its top with a sheet supportingflang'e 14 that extends on opposite sides of said stem portionat an oblique angle'theretogtheangle corresponding: to the slopeof the roof sheetsp bu As shown in the drawings, the top flange 14L projectsa greater distance on one side of the stem 13 of the than the opposite side thereof. The stem 13 of the T-sha-ped metal side fascia member A is rigidly secured flatwise V by means of rivets to the outer face of the upstanding inner flange 2 of the side. late 1, with the long inner side ofthe top w ange 7 14 of said fascia member spaced above and extending inwardly and upwardly over the upper edge of said upstanding sideplate' flange. The short outerside of the flange 14: slopes downwardly and outwardly beyond the stem 13 and serves asia drip edge and as a means for deflecting any water that might ,be blown beneath the depending eaves flanges 8 of the roof sheets 6. The metal fascia members A are 'rolled in convenient lengths and are arranged end to end on the car with their adjacent ends welded together to form smooth sheet supporting surfaces that extend con- V tinuously from end toend of the car. i

By the arrangement described, the metal the outer face of the upstanding flange of an adjacent side plate and a top roof supporting flange spaced above and extending inwardly over the inner edge of said upstanding side plate flange, said roof supporting flange also extending outwardly beyond the outer face of said stem portion.

3. A car roof comprising Z-shape d side plates arranged with one flange extending upwardly along the inner edges thereof, and

-a roofsupporting flange at the top of the upwardly extending flange of each side plate, said roof supporting flange extending on opposite sidesof said upwardly extending flange at an inclination approximately equal to the pitch of theI-car roof,- the'inner portion of said roof supporting flange overhanging the upwardlyextending flange of said side plate. i f .Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 3rd day of -May, 1930. r

fascia members become part of thecar frame and thus serve to strengthen and stiffen the side plates, particularly at the doorways;

they also provide rigid sheet supports which prevent sagging and leakage of theroof at the eaves; and they also overcome all of the disadvantages associated with theuse of fasj l cia-boards heretofore used for supporting the V i V eaves portions of the car roof. 'Another advantage of theforegoing arrangement isthat I V o it decreases the overall width of :the roof without decreasing the width of the supporting surfaces of the fascia members, thereby permitting the cars to be built higher. at the v eavesand still come within the limiting out- I line lfOI freight cars.

It is evident that the metal fascia members g A hereinbefore described are applicable to cars and metal side fascia members for supporting the eaves ends of said roof, each "of said side fascia members comprising a stem portion that is permanently secured flatwise to V the outer face of the upstanding flange of an adjacent side plateand a top roof-supporting flange spaced above and extending inwardly over the upper edge of said upstanding zside plate flange.

'2. A freight car comprising. side plates having upstanding flanges extendinglongitudinally thereof, a metal roof for said car, and metal side fascia members for supportingthe eaves ends of said roof, each of said I side fascia members comprising a stem portion that is permanently secured flatwise to FRED ALY'ISAACSON. 

